Captain’s Corner: Jim Lemke

The Tampa Bay Times

Summer Heat

Times Correspondent Capt. Jim Lemke

With the summer heat dial still on full heat you might want to look for cooler places and times to fish like early morning, late evenings or if you have to fish during the day look under the bay area bridges.

With the water temperature in the over 88 degrees in the morning and the low 90 degree’s in the afternoon it makes the morning top water bite has been great on the bay area flats as the sun is coming up with some nice gator Trout, Redfish and even a few Snook. As the sun gets higher in the sky I start heading to the bay area bridges like the Skyway or the Gandy Bridge and anchor up in the shade and change up gear and start fishing the bridge pilings or the rock piles under the bridges. I fish for Mango Snappers, Sheephead, Pompano, and a lot more types of fish you can catch under the bridges. In the late evenings I like to fish the mangrove shore line with jerk baits and suspending baits. As the fish move under the mangroves to get in the shade to stay cool like we get under the bridges to stay cool.

No matter when you can go fishing there is a way to stay cool and get some great summer fishing in. The best part of it you can use your flats rods to do it all. You just need to change hooks or leader size depending where you are fishing. Capt Jim Lemke charters out of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater and can be reached at (813) 917-4989 and at captjimlemke@gmail.com or on his website www.lighttackleadventures.com